Judge Arrested

A county circuit judge in Milwaukee, WI was arrested and charged with “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest.” The judge, Hannah Dugan, after being alerted to the presence of immigration law enforcement officials outside the courtroom, allegedly escorted a criminal defendant out a non-public jury door in an attempt to help the defendant evade arrest. The defendant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, was in court on charges of domestic battery, and was taken into custody after a short pursuit on foot. Judge Dugan was taken into custody the following morning, charged, and released after an initial appearance in court.

Analysis and eternal perspective: No person should be above the law. It’s a refrain we draw from biblical principles (“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” Lev. 19:15), and repeat often here at The Equipped. Even so, it remains one we are all prone to selectively set aside or deprioritize when convenient for a political narrative.

Unbridled authority is a constant threat because of human nature. Jeremiah 17:9 puts it this way: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Because of this truth, it is imperative that even the powerful—perhaps especially the powerful—are not above the law. As Jesus followers, we should fervently hold to this truth regardless of whether we view the public official in question favorably or unfavorably.

Simultaneously, the American form of republican government intentionally pits multiple repositories of power (three co-equal branches of federal government, as well as a division between federal and state authority) against each other. The Founders chose this structure to prevent any one power from becoming so large as to overcome the others. It is this principle that makes clashes between the divisions of power (in this case the executive and judicial branches) so acrimonious.

Regardless of your view of immigration law and policy, Jesus followers should recognize and defend both the truth that nobody is above the law and the reality that a division of power is a safeguard for all.

The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.